"Ah, I see. I thought you were a ninja with a Sensing Physique." Orochimaru gave a slight nod, his tone casual.
Xuan Yu leaned lazily against the headboard, just as nonchalant. "A Sensing Physique? ...It's not impossible."
Orochimaru took it for the nonsense of a chuuni kid.
But Xuan Yu wasn't just talking big. He really might be able to get a Sensing Physique.
For one thing, whenever his Pay-to-Win System upgraded a jutsu, it sometimes came with a special effect. Maybe one day, an upgrade would grant him an ability similar to a Sensing Physique.
For another, he hadn't studied the Pay-to-Win System deeply enough to know whether unlocking higher-level features in the future could directly give him sensory talents.
If it really worked that way, wouldn't he become a ninja with a Sensing Physique?
Those thoughts passed through Xuan Yu's mind, but Orochimaru had no way of knowing.
He merely let out a strange laugh, taking Xuan Yu's words for the unrealistic boasts of a young man.
Seizing the opportunity, Xuan Yu asked, "By the way, Snake Bro, did you come to Kusagakure to find me or Kakuzu? Got a mission you want to bring me in on?"
Orochimaru nodded. "I do have a mission I'd like to work with you on, but it isn't here."
"Oh? What's the mission, and what would I have to do?" Xuan Yu perked up at once and sat a little straighter.
He'd managed to scrape together another thirty-five million ryo recently, but when it came to getting stronger through the Pay-to-Win System, he could never have too much money.
Orochimaru gave a sinister smile. "I'd like to conduct some research on you. You'll need to come with me to one of my hideouts before we can begin working together."
"No problem. But..." Xuan Yu's eyes shifted, and a smile tugged at his lips. "How much are you planning to pay me, Snake Bro?"
As far as he was concerned, Orochimaru's hideout wasn't exactly a den of danger. He planned to send a Chakra Clone in his place.
Even if the clone got killed, all he'd lose was some Chakra. His real body wouldn't be harmed.
Forget going to Orochimaru's hideout—if someone offered him enough money to serve as a close-range observer at the center of a nuclear blast, he wouldn't hesitate.
Orochimaru had assumed Xuan Yu wouldn't dare set foot on his turf so readily.
After all, Xuan Yu was from the Leaf Village, and Orochimaru's reputation there was utterly infamous.
But to his surprise, Xuan Yu agreed without much hesitation.
Still, it was fine by him. As long as Xuan Yu was willing to cooperate.
After a brief pause, Orochimaru casually named a figure. "Ten million ryo. How does that sound?"
Xuan Yu raised an eyebrow. "Snake Bro, if that's your offer, then we've got a problem. You want me to travel all the way to your place and help with your experiments, and you're only offering ten million ryo?"
His displeasure was plain in his voice.
Orochimaru didn't take offense. He simply asked, "Then how much do you want?"
Xuan Yu wasn't about to go easy on him. He held up five fingers. "Fifty million ryo."
Orochimaru shook his head at once. "The Akatsuki offers a hundred million ryo to capture a Tailed Beast. Fifty million is half the price of one."
Xuan Yu already knew about the figure Orochimaru had mentioned, but money's value couldn't be calculated that way.
He patiently explained, "Snake Bro, those are two different things. The organization offers a hundred million for a Tailed Beast because that's all they're willing to pay. It doesn't mean a Tailed Beast is only worth that much. For example, if the Leaf Village offered a few hundred million, could it buy every other country's Tailed Beasts? Or if someone offered the Leaf Village a hundred million for the Nine-Tails, would they sell?"
Xuan Yu shrugged and continued, "So the price the organization puts on a Tailed Beast is, at best, a point of reference. Besides, you won't lose out by paying me fifty million. The secrets hidden within me are definitely worth that much."
Even though Xuan Yu made a convincing case, Orochimaru wasn't about to agree so quickly.
Fifty million ryo was no small sum.
Orochimaru was well-off, but he wasn't so rich that he had money to throw away.
He didn't want to agree, but neither did he want to miss the chance to work with Xuan Yu.
Now it came down to his wits.
Orochimaru had spent many years navigating the Ninja World. He might not have been the strongest ninja, but he was undoubtedly among the most intelligent.
He thought for a moment, then his lips curled into a cold smile. "How about this: I'll hire you for ten million ryo to start. That'll be the baseline for our collaboration. If you can prove you're worth more, I'll raise the fee accordingly."
Xuan Yu narrowed his eyes warily. "How do I prove that?"
He wasn't about to be fooled by a casual promise from Orochimaru.
It was far too vague. What if he went to the hideout and Orochimaru reneged, offering only ten million? Wouldn't that mean he'd made the trip for nothing?
Orochimaru had considered simply overpowering Xuan Yu and paying him nothing, but he always planned carefully and never relied on just one option.
If he couldn't control Xuan Yu, his plan to take him by force would fall through.
So, for now, hiring Xuan Yu and paying him for his cooperation was the best course.
At Xuan Yu's question, Orochimaru gave it some serious thought before slowly replying, "If you truly possess a special talent or ability that ordinary ninjas—even prodigies—don't have, then I'm willing to pay fifty million ryo for your help with my research. For example, you could find a way to prove that you grow at an incredible speed, or show some other talent that sets you apart from ordinary people. If I find three such key qualities in you—or even just one, as long as it's exceptional enough to truly impress me—then the fifty-million-ryo fee is yours."
After saying this, Orochimaru silently added one more thought.
Of course, if I decide at the hideout that capturing you outright is the best option, I won't spend a single coin.
Though Orochimaru hadn't said the quiet part aloud, Xuan Yu had already made up his mind.
When the time came, he'd send a clone infused with a massive amount of Chakra.
Even if Orochimaru tried to make a move against him at the hideout, he'd only lose the Chakra in one clone. His real body wouldn't be hurt at all.
With that in mind, Xuan Yu grinned. "Snake Bro, that sounds interesting! Let's do it your way. But I need to rest tonight. I'll go with you to the hideout first thing tomorrow morning."
"Fine." Orochimaru nodded. "Someone will come get you tomorrow morning."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure flickered and vanished.
After Orochimaru left, Xuan Yu immediately rubbed his hands together and got to work topping up his account and spending points.
He'd planned to hold on to the thirty-five million ryo he'd saved and wait a little longer before using it. But if he wanted to earn even more, he had to be willing to invest in himself first.
Of course, he couldn't spend it all. He planned to keep ten million ryo so he could show Orochimaru what he could do tomorrow—maybe demonstrate how to learn a new jutsu at lightning speed.
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